I've been watching Jeopardy these past few weeks, and as fun as it is to play along (although I don't see the point of phrasing it as a question when you're not on the show, but that's just a pet peeve), it has been even more fun as of late to watch Ken Jennings dominate the game like he has been for the past 12 shows. He's managed to accumulate well over $300,000, which is freaking incredible. Has anyone else found this as cool as I have?

Originally posted by MayhemI saw that guy ... man, he's a freakin' madman. But I thought that contestants were only allowed a 5 day run as champion. Have the rules regarding that changed?

This season, they can stay as long as they want. New rule, and I'm sure the producers are very happy with that decision.

I think Ken's key is his fast hands. Yes, he knows a lot about everything, but look at the faces of the other contestants. They can't ring in, even when they know the answer. The guy's got some amazingly fast fingers.

Gravity is a contributing factor in nearly 73 percent of all accidents involving falling objects.

Originally posted by drjayphdI think probably the best part of this run happened a couple of days ago. During Final Jeopardy, Alex asks for the first player's answer (she was in the middle spot). Hers:

"What is... what Ken said?"

My parents had to ask if that was legal.

Yeah, that was great. I've never laughed so much during an episode of Jeopardy.

Originally posted by drjayphdI think probably the best part of this run happened a couple of days ago. During Final Jeopardy, Alex asks for the first player's answer (she was in the middle spot). Hers:

"What is... what Ken said?"

My parents had to ask if that was legal.

Oh -- but there'll be more fun and frivality in Final J! on Friday, IIRC. Cryptic post, yes, but you'll see. Good for a laugh.

The show hasn't been the same since Sony bought it like six years ago. They made the questions way easier than they used to be. I remember some of the guys from years ago that got stopped after they won five games; they could have played forever without being beaten.

Originally posted by drjayphdI think probably the best part of this run happened a couple of days ago. During Final Jeopardy, Alex asks for the first player's answer (she was in the middle spot). Hers:

"What is... what Ken said?"

My parents had to ask if that was legal.

The Cliff Clavin Precedent (i.e. "Who Are Three People That Have Never Been In My Kitchen?") would imply that such an answer would not be allowed.

Originally posted by drjayphdI think probably the best part of this run happened a couple of days ago. During Final Jeopardy, Alex asks for the first player's answer (she was in the middle spot). Hers:

"What is... what Ken said?"

My parents had to ask if that was legal.

Oh -- but there'll be more fun and frivality in Final J! on Friday, IIRC. Cryptic post, yes, but you'll see. Good for a laugh.

What happened? I watched, and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Gravity is a contributing factor in nearly 73 percent of all accidents involving falling objects.

Wheel of Morality, turn turn turn. Tell us the lesson that we should learn.

Originally posted by Roy.

Originally posted by Teppan-Yaki

Originally posted by drjayphdI think probably the best part of this run happened a couple of days ago. During Final Jeopardy, Alex asks for the first player's answer (she was in the middle spot). Hers:

"What is... what Ken said?"

My parents had to ask if that was legal.

Oh -- but there'll be more fun and frivality in Final J! on Friday, IIRC. Cryptic post, yes, but you'll see. Good for a laugh.

What happened? I watched, and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

I didn't watch, but I assume that the lack of "Oh my God he lost!" posts means that Ken has kept his streak alive.

Originally posted by drjayphdI think probably the best part of this run happened a couple of days ago. During Final Jeopardy, Alex asks for the first player's answer (she was in the middle spot). Hers:

"What is... what Ken said?"

My parents had to ask if that was legal.

Oh -- but there'll be more fun and frivality in Final J! on Friday, IIRC. Cryptic post, yes, but you'll see. Good for a laugh.

What happened? I watched, and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

I didn't watch, but I assume that the lack of "Oh my God he lost!" posts means that Ken has kept his streak alive.

Yup, it was fairly routine. Once again, he's got enough in Final Jeopardy to win outright, and he gets the final question to get a nice even numbered total. I'm interested to see if/when this guy loses.

Gravity is a contributing factor in nearly 73 percent of all accidents involving falling objects.

Wheel of Morality, turn turn turn. Tell us the lesson that we should learn.

Originally posted by Roy.

Originally posted by gugs

Originally posted by Roy.

Originally posted by Teppan-Yaki

Originally posted by drjayphdI think probably the best part of this run happened a couple of days ago. During Final Jeopardy, Alex asks for the first player's answer (she was in the middle spot). Hers:

"What is... what Ken said?"

My parents had to ask if that was legal.

Oh -- but there'll be more fun and frivality in Final J! on Friday, IIRC. Cryptic post, yes, but you'll see. Good for a laugh.

What happened? I watched, and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

I didn't watch, but I assume that the lack of "Oh my God he lost!" posts means that Ken has kept his streak alive.

Yup, it was fairly routine. Once again, he's got enough in Final Jeopardy to win outright, and he gets the final question to get a nice even numbered total. I'm interested to see if/when this guy loses.

Going into first commercial, he had racked up $6000. 2nd place had $0. 3rd was sitting at -$1200.

The guy is a beast, though clearly has a HUGE weakness when it comes to sports. Doesn't seem to know a damn thing about them, but then doesn't pretend to either. I thought he'd actually put the buzzer down during the Superbowl category he looked so bored.

I don't know the satellite/transponder off-hand (I think it's somewhere on Telstar 6), but C-Band satellite has it at least until the fall two air days before scheduled showing. For instance, Monday's ep fed yesterday. Yes, I saw it. No, I'm not telling you.

Originally posted by Teppan-YakiIt was the "I want my $2" final J! answer that I thought was amusing.

I don't know the satellite/transponder off-hand (I think it's somewhere on Telstar 6), but C-Band satellite has it at least until the fall two air days before scheduled showing. For instance, Monday's ep fed yesterday. Yes, I saw it. No, I'm not telling you.

Best part of that is Alex seemed to have no clue as to what she was referring to. He said something like "well... second place gets $3000, and third gets $1000, so I don't know what you're worried about..." Maybe if someone wagered "$Texas" he'd get it.

DEAN's Nuggets of Wisdom:

"A-Train could wear a Vampirella outfit and I would toast a load to it."

Originally posted by Teppan-YakiIt was the "I want my $2" final J! answer that I thought was amusing.

I don't know the satellite/transponder off-hand (I think it's somewhere on Telstar 6), but C-Band satellite has it at least until the fall two air days before scheduled showing. For instance, Monday's ep fed yesterday. Yes, I saw it. No, I'm not telling you.

Does it count if I already know?

Ken was the main topic of conversation at the Tournament of Champions taping. Don't ever trust Alex Trebek with your secrets - he told me about how many games Ken won and about how much he ended up with. (None of the champions who had yet to air were particulary willing to talk about their games.)

It's not that Ken knows a lot of stuff - and he does - but it's his buzzer speed that's winning him the games. I've seen him, on several occasions, buzz in before he's really sure of the answer, sometimes just plain guessing! Nobody stupid gets on Jeopardy - you have to pass a pretty tough test to get on there. I think the aphorism is that 90% of the contestants know 90% of the material. It's reaction time that separates them. You can tell sometimes that Ken's opponents know and are trying to ring in, but he just shuts them out. When you play at home, you dream of that perfect game where Alex calls on you for every clue you know. Ken just keeps getting them over and over again. There was a game last week where he got about 42-43 of the 61 questions right. It's amazing to see somebody get 31-32, let alone 40.

I'm of two minds as to whether or not Ken's run is a good thing. I grew up on game shows, so I remember Thom McKee's run on Tic Tac Dough during the early eighties, where he won something like 43 games in a row. As a young kid, I thought it was pretty cool to see somebody keep on winning. I don't think I like it on Jeopardy, though. There are too many champions from the past that could have had a Jennings-like run (e.g. Frank Spangenberg, Lescek Pawlowicz, Brad Rutter, Brian Weikle, Doug Lach, etc.) but were handicapped by the five-game limit. It used to be that if there was a guy with incredible timing, he could only dominate five games (nine if you include the ToC). Now, you've got one guy with timing honed over the course of twelve games against two schmoes who are starting cold. Plus, there are no more undefeated champions. Everybody has to lose now. They used to give you a car (either a Chevy or a Jaguar, depending on the season) after five games and send you home. Now, you get nothing. (Not that I'm bitter or anything. :))